Saturday, November 17, 2018

Google Assistant Call Screening Is Coming on Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL

The Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL offered a great call screening feature at launch, which used Google Assistant to answer suspected spam calls and transcribe the conversation in real time. Now, the feature is coming to the Pixel 2 and 2 XL as part of this week’s Google Phone update.

Spam calls have been on the rise, and companies, including carriers like T-Mobile, have been taking matters into their own hands to prevent potential spam calls from reaching the customer entirely. But for the calls that still get through, you can tap the “screen call” button. Google Assistant will then alert the caller that you’re using a screening service and that you’ll receive a copy of the conversation. From then, you can choose to pick up the call, hang up, or block the number.

Once you have the call screening feature on your Pixel phone, you don’t need to do anything to enable it; it will be on by default. If you want to adjust the voice type or go through a demo to see how it works, you can go into the settings within your Google Phone app and hit Call Screen.

The feature is rolling out now, and it should be available for the rest of the Pixel family soon. Google hasn’t made an official announcement, and it’s not listed in the Phone app updates, so there isn’t a timeline for the rollout.